The Bum's Major League Baseball Best Bets for July - Picks, News, Trends !

[StarDust Bum]

TOP POWER LINES

MLB > (965) KANSAS CITY @ (966) DETROIT | 2016-07-17 13:10:00 - 2016-07-17 13:10:00
Line: DETROIT-141 BTB PowerLine: DETROIT-188
Edge On: DETROIT (47)

MLB > (951) MILWAUKEE @ (952) CINCINNATI | 2016-07-17 13:10:00 - 2016-07-17 13:10:00
Line: MILWAUKEE BTB PowerLine: MILWAUKEE133
Edge On: MILWAUKEE (19)

MLB > (955) NY METS @ (956) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-07-17 13:35:00 - 2016-07-17 13:35:00
Line: NY METS BTB PowerLine: NY METS195
Edge On: NY METS (20)

MLB > (957) COLORADO @ (958) ATLANTA | 2016-07-17 13:35:00 - 2016-07-17 13:35:00
Line: COLORADO BTB PowerLine: COLORADO105
Edge On: COLORADO (8)

MLB > (953) PITTSBURGH @ (954) WASHINGTON | 2016-07-17 13:35:00 - 2016-07-17 13:35:00
Line: PITTSBURGH BTB PowerLine: PITTSBURGH-245
Edge On: PITTSBURGH (15)

MLB > (969) CLEVELAND @ (970) MINNESOTA | 2016-07-17 14:10:00 - 2016-07-17 14:10:00
Line: CLEVELAND BTB PowerLine: CLEVELAND161
Edge On: CLEVELAND (21)

MLB > (959) MIAMI @ (960) ST LOUIS | 2016-07-17 14:15:00 - 2016-07-17 14:15:00
Line: MIAMI BTB PowerLine: MIAMI-133
Edge On: MIAMI (7)

MLB > (979) TEXAS @ (980) CHICAGO CUBS | 2016-07-17 14:20:00 - 2016-07-17 14:20:00
Line: CHICAGO CUBS-129 BTB PowerLine: CHICAGO CUBS-143
Edge On: CHICAGO CUBS (14)

MLB > (971) CHI WHITE SOX @ (972) LA ANGELS | 2016-07-17 15:35:00 - 2016-07-17 15:35:00
Line: LA ANGELS-129 BTB PowerLine: LA ANGELS-147
Edge On: LA ANGELS (18)

MLB > (973) TORONTO @ (974) OAKLAND | 2016-07-17 16:05:00 - 2016-07-17 16:05:00
Line: OAKLAND-105 BTB PowerLine: OAKLAND-128
Edge On: OAKLAND (23)

MLB > (961) LA DODGERS @ (962) ARIZONA | 2016-07-17 16:10:00 - 2016-07-17 16:10:00
Line: LA DODGERS BTB PowerLine: LA DODGERS154
Edge On: LA DODGERS (14)

MLB > (975) HOUSTON @ (976) SEATTLE | 2016-07-17 16:10:00 - 2016-07-17 16:10:00
Line: HOUSTON BTB PowerLine: HOUSTON110
Edge On: HOUSTON (5)

MLB > (963) SAN FRANCISCO @ (964) SAN DIEGO | 2016-07-17 16:40:00 - 2016-07-17 16:40:00
Line: SAN FRANCISCO BTB PowerLine: SAN FRANCISCO241
Edge On: SAN FRANCISCO (31)

MLB > (977) BOSTON @ (978) NY YANKEES | 2016-07-17 20:05:00 - 2016-07-17 20:05:00
Line: BOSTON BTB PowerLine: BOSTON126
Edge On: BOSTON (4)

[StarDust Bum]

AMERICAN LEAGUE

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

TEAM W L PCT. GB RS RA DIFF HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST L10 STRK

Baltimore 53 36 .596 - 448 405 43 33-14 20-22 24-13 16-6 8-15 6-4 W 4

Boston 51 38 .573 2 500 429 71 30-20 21-18 21-19 9-9 15-7 8-2 W 6

Toronto 51 42 .548 4 458 385 73 27-20 24-22 23-19 13-11 6-6 7-3 L 2

N.Y. Yankees 44 46 .489 9½ 376 415 -39 23-20 21-26 10-19 17-10 14-10 5-5 L 2

Tampa Bay 34 56 .378 19½ 348 424 -76 18-30 16-26 14-22 7-16 9-10 1-9 L 8


AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

TEAM W L PCT. GB RS RA DIFF HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST L10 STRK

Cleveland 53 37 .589 - 445 362 83 26-16 27-21 11-11 27-12 7-9 4-6 L 1

Detroit 47 44 .516 6½ 434 437 -3 24-17 23-27 13-11 14-19 10-10 4-6 L 1

Kansas City 46 44 .511 7 362 386 -24 29-13 17-31 8-11 22-12 8-12 3-7 W 1

Chi. White Sox 45 45 .500 8 368 388 -20 24-22 21-23 15-11 14-19 12-10 5-5 L 3

Minnesota 33 57 .367 20 402 475 -73 20-28 13-29 5-18 7-22 15-10 7-3 W 1


AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

TEAM W L PCT. GB RS RA DIFF HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST L10 STRK

Texas 54 38 .587 - 444 436 8 29-15 25-23 13-11 9-10 26-13 2-8 L 4

Houston 49 42 .538 4½ 408 375 33 28-19 21-23 7-9 12-10 22-19 6-4 L 1

Seattle 46 45 .505 7½ 439 391 48 23-21 23-24 13-6 8-13 16-23 4-6 W 1
nd 40 51 .440 13½ 379 446 -67 19-26 21-25 9-12 10-10 16-20 5-5 W 2

L.A. Angels 39 52 .429 14½ 411 423 -12 18-26 21-26 6-14 12-9 15-20 6-4 W 2


NATIONAL LEAGUE

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

TEAM W L PCT. GB RS RA DIFF HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST L10 STRK

Washington 56 36 .609 - 433 318 115 29-15 27-21 30-14 15-14 2-5 7-3 W 5

Miami 48 42 .533 7 378 381 -3 24-19 24-23 16-24 14-5 14-6 6-4 L 1

N.Y. Mets 48 42 .533 7 342 322 20 26-20 22-22 20-23 15-5 7-10 5-5 L 1

Philadelphia 43 49 .467 13 335 422 -87 22-24 21-25 18-17 8-15 9-9 7-3 W 1

Atlanta 31 60 .341 24½ 312 429 -117 13-36 18-24 17-23 6-14 4-14 3-7 L 2


NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

TEAM W L PCT. GB RS RA DIFF HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST L10 STRK

Chi. Cubs 55 35 .611 - 469 322 147 28-14 27-21 14-13 26-13 11-9 4-6 W 3

St. Louis 47 43 .522 8 466 373 93 20-27 27-16 9-7 23-17 10-9 5-5 W 1

Pittsburgh 46 45 .505 9½ 424 427 -3 24-20 22-25 7-9 17-19 15-9 6-4 L 3

Milwaukee 39 50 .438 15½ 355 424 -69 23-22 16-28 14-15 11-18 5-12 4-6 W 1

Cincinnati 33 58 .363 22½ 382 543 -161 19-26 14-32 9-14 13-23 7-10 4-6 L 1


NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

TEAM W L PCT. GB RS RA DIFF HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST L10 STRK

San Francisco 57 35 .620 - 431 362 69 29-17 28-18 7-6 13-6 31-17 6-4 L 2

L.A. Dodgers 52 41 .559 5½ 396 338 58 30-18 22-23 12-8 12-9 23-17 6-4 L 1

Colorado 42 48 .467 14 469 473 -4 20-22 22-26 8-5 7-13 22-25 5-5 W 2

San Diego 40 51 .440 16½ 404 448 -44 22-25 18-26 8-10 10-7 18-27 5-5 W 2

Arizona 39 53 .424 18 411 470 -59 16-33 23-20 9-7 7-13 18-26 3-7 W 1

[StarDust Bum]

7/16 - Saturday's Results: 6 - 5 + 1.60


July's Totals: 80 - 86 + 12.38 48.19 %


Overall : 252 - 242 + 43.94 51.01 %



SUNDAY, JULY 17

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

BAL at TB 01:10 PM

TB +108


PIT at WAS 01:35 PM

PIT +223


COL at ATL 01:35 PM

ATL -107


TEX at CHC 02:20 PM

TEX +115


CHW at LAA 03:35 PM

LAA -131


TOR at OAK 04:05 PM

TOR -102

O 8.0


SF at SD 04:40 PM

SF -210

O 7.5


BOS at NYY 08:05 PM

NYY +111

[StarDust Bum]

Baseball Capsules
July 17, 2016

WASHINGTON (AP) Starling Marte hit a solo home run in the 18th inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Washington Nationals 2-1 Sunday in a marathon game that lasted almost six hours.

Pinch-hitter Daniel Murphy homered with two outs in the ninth inning for Washington, and it took a long while until anyone scored again.

Marte's seventh home run of the season helped end the series finale and the Pirates avoid getting swept by the NL East leaders. The only longer game in the majors this season came July 1 when Cleveland beat Toronto in 19 innings.

Marte hit the first pitch from Oliver Perez (2-3) into the seats in left field.

Jonathon Niese (8-6) survived a couple of singles to get the victory.

It was the longest regular-season game for the Nationals since the franchise moved from Montreal to Washington after the 2004 season. The Nationals lost an 18-inning game to San Francisco in the 2014 playoffs.

METS 5, PHILLIES 0

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Jacob deGrom tossed a one-hitter, Curtis Granderson and Asdrubal Cabrera homered and New York beat Philadelphia.

DeGrom (6-4) allowed only a third-inning single to pitcher Zach Eflin and retired 27 of 29 batters. The lanky right-hander struck out seven, walked one and went the distance for the first time in 68 career starts.

Eflin (2-3) allowed five hits and three runs in six innings.

Granderson drove his 16th homer way out to right-center for a 2-0 lead in the third. Cabrera's two-run shot off Andrew Bailey in the eighth was his 13th homer and gave the Mets a 5-0 lead.

DeGrom improved to 15-3 with a 1.63 ERA in day games and 14-15 with a 3.19 ERA at night.

YANKEES 3, RED SOX 1

NEW YORK (AP) - Masahiro Tanaka outpitched David Price in their first matchup to win his fourth straight decision, and New York ended Boston's six-game winning streak.

Starlin Castro keyed New York's three-run fourth inning with an RBI double that scored Didi Gregorius from first base. No. 9 batter Austin Romine and Jacoby Ellsbury each added a run-scoring single with two outs off Price (9-7), who gave up 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings as the Yankees prevented a three-game sweep.

Following his team's loss on Saturday, manager Joe Girardi said the Yankees needed to turn things around immediately and called Sunday night ''probably as important (a) game that we've had in July in a long time.''

New York (45-46) responded with excellent pitching and a handful of timely hits.

Tanaka (7-2) fanned seven with one walk over six innings of three-hit ball.

MARLINS 6, CARDINALS 3

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Ichiro Suzuki doubled, singled twice and had another hit taken away on a replay challenge, leaving him six shy of 3,000, after Miami's win over St. Louis.

The 42-year-old Suzuki made just his second start this month with All-Star Marcell Ozuna getting a day off. He's been largely reduced to pinch hitting behind a set outfield, and singled in that role on Friday.

Suzuki also walked, scored a run and came up just short on his bid to beat out an infield hit. All of that in wilting, 93-degree heat for a player who'd been 3 for 11 in July.

Giancarlo Stanton's second double of the game drove in the go-ahead run in a two-run seventh against Jonathan Broxton (1-2). Christian Yelich had two hits and three RBIs as Miami took two of three for just its second series win the last seven years in St. Louis.

Kyle Barraclough (5-2) won in relief and A.J. Ramos earned his 29th save in 30 chances.

RANGERS 4, CUBS 1

CHICAGO (AP) - Cole Hamels pitched eight dominant innings in his first game at Wrigley Field since throwing a no-hitter at the famed ballpark a year ago, and Texas stopped a four-game slide.

Hamels (10-2) struck out his first six batters. He fanned seven overall and gave up just an unearned run and four hits.

Last summer, the lefty threw a no-hitter and struck out 13 at Wrigley in his final start for Philadelphia. He was then traded to the Rangers.

Sam Dyson struck out three in the ninth for his 19th save in 21 chances.

Ian Desmond homered and Robinson Chirinos drove in two runs as Texas avoided a three-game sweep in the matchup of division leaders. The Cubs had won three in a row.

John Lackey (7-6) allowed four runs and six hits in eight innings.

REDS 1, BREWERS 0

CINCINNATI (AP) - Billy Hamilton dashed home on All-Star Jonathan Lucroy's passed ball with two outs in the ninth inning, giving Cincinnati the win.

The speedy Hamilton drew a two-out walk from Tyler Thornburgh (3-3). Left-hander Will Smith relieved and walked Joey Votto. Hamilton stole third with Jay Bruce hitting, setting up the game-winning play.

Tony Cingrani (2-2) pitched a perfect ninth for the win.

Cincinnati starter Dan Straily and Milwaukee's Zach Davies each pitched seven impressive innings.

TIGERS 4, ROYALS 2

DETROIT (AP) - Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Detroit past Kansas City.

After Tyler Collins hit a leadoff single in the ninth, Saltalamacchia won it with a drive off Joakim Soria (3-4) that easily cleared the wall in right field. The Detroit catcher raised his right arm in celebration almost immediately as he trotted toward first base.

Those were the only two RBIs of the day for Detroit. The Tigers scored their first two runs of the game on a balk and a wild pitch.

Francisco Rodriguez (1-0) pitched a perfect top of the ninth for the win.

Detroit rookie Michael Fulmer allowed two runs and six hits in eight innings. Kansas City starter Yordano Ventura allowed two runs and eight hits in seven innings.

RAYS 5, ORIOLES 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Evan Longoria homered twice, Jake Odorizzi picked up his first home victory this season and Tampa Bay won for just the fourth time in 28 games.

Longoria had solo shots in both the first and eighth innings. He has 21 homers this season after his 17th career multihomer game.

Odorizzi (4-5), who was 0-3 in 10 previous starts at Tropicana Field, gave up two runs and seven hits in six innings. Overall, he had been 0-2 in six starts since winning June 8 at Arizona.

Oswaldo Arcia had a two-run shot during the second and Brad Miller added a third-inning solo driver as the Rays took a 4-1 lead against Dylan Bundy (2-2), who allowed four runs and five hits over 3 1/3 innings in his first major league start.

All-Star Alex Colome got three outs for his 20th save in as many chances.

BRAVES 1, ROCKIES 0

ATLANTA (AP) - Chase d'Arnaud singled with two outs in the ninth inning off Gonzalez Germen and Atlanta avoided a three-game sweep.

It was a rare home victory for the Braves, who are 14-36 at Turner Field and have baseball's worst overall record. Atlanta had lost four straight to Colorado.

Following dominant outings through the seventh by Braves ace Julio Teheran and Rockies starter Jon Gray, the Braves used four relievers and the Rockies one before Germen (2-1) gave up Ender Inciarte's leadoff single in the ninth.

Anthony Recker bunted over Inciarte, who advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on d'Arnaud's liner to left field.

Jim Johnson (2-5) gave up one walk in two-thirds of an inning to get the win.

INDIANS 6, TWINS 1

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Josh Tomlin pitched 7 2/3 strong innings, Mike Napoli hit one of three Cleveland homers in a win over Minnesota.

Chris Gimenez had two RBIs off the bench as the division-leading Indians won for just the third time in eight games.

Max Kepler homered for Minnesota.

Tomlin (10-2), who gave up eight runs - including a season-high five earned - in 4 2/3 innings against Detroit in his previous outing July 6, looked more like the pitcher that had six straight quality starts before that outing. He allowed six hits and struck out four against the Twins.

Minnesota had two runners on in the first, but just three over the next four innings as Tomlin breezed through the Minnesota lineup. He retired 11 straight before Kepler homered in the sixth.

Twins starter Kyle Gibson (2-6) allowed 10 hits and four earned runs in six innings. He struck out four.

ANGELS 8, WHITE SOX 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Albert Pujols hit a pair of two-run homers, Jered Weaver pitched seven strong innings and Los Angeles completed an emphatic three-game sweep of Chicago.

Pujols connected in the first and fourth innings of his 53rd multi-homer game. He has 577 career homers as he pursues Mark McGwire (583) for 10th place on baseball's career list.

Five Angels drove in a run while lighting up Jacob Turner (0-1) over the first five innings. He yielded seven hits and eight runs in his debut for the White Sox, who have lost four straight.

After their worst first half since 1992, the injury-plagued Halos (40-52) returned with three outstanding starts while outscoring Chicago 16-1.

Weaver (8-7) limited the White Sox to six hits and one walk as Los Angeles won for the seventh time in nine games overall.

ASTROS 8, MARINERS 1

SEATTLE (AP) - Jose Altuve homered among his four hits and drove in three runs, Collin McHugh escaped a pair of bases-loaded jams to pitch six scoreless innings, and Houston beat Seattle.

Altuve had a two-run homer and three singles in five at-bats to raise his American League-leading average to .346. McHugh (6-6) allowed four hits and walked four, striking out 10 to win for the first time in eight starts since his last victory on May 30.

Carlos Gomez added his second career grand slam in the seventh inning off Nathan Karns to put the Astros up 8-0.

Kyle Seager singled home Seattle's only run in the eighth off Chris Devenski.

Mike Montgomery (3-4), making his second start this season after 30 relief appearances, allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings, walking two and striking out seven.

BLUE JAYS 5, ATHLETICS 3

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Josh Donaldson hit a tiebreaking two-run double with two outs in the ninth against his former team and Toronto avoided a three-game sweep.

Troy Tulowitzki homered while Russell Martin and Justin Smoak added two hits apiece for the Blue Jays.

Donaldson, traded from Oakland to Toronto prior to the 2015 season, also singled and scored in the first inning.

Marcus Semien homered for the A's.

Smoak and Junior Lake hit consecutive one-out singles off John Axford (3-3) in the ninth. Devon Travis struck out looking before Donaldson lined a 2-1 pitch down the left field line to drive in pinch-runner Andy Burns and Lake.

Jason Grilli (3-1) retired three batters for the win. Roberto Osuna pitched the ninth for his 19th save.

DIAMONDBACKS 6, DODGERS 5

PHOENIX (AP) - Robbie Ray pitched seven scoreless innings, Jake Lamb hit his 21st home run and Arizona held on to beat Los Angeles.

The Dodgers had runners at first and third with one out in the ninth when rookie Jake Barrett struck out Yasiel Puig and Chris Taylor to earn his second save.

Ray (5-8) gave up four hits, struck out seven, walked two and hit two batters. The left-hander worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the second inning and left with a 6-0 lead.

Lamb hit a solo homer and singled in a run off Kenta Maeda (8-7), tagged for a season-worst five runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings starts.

PADRES 5, GIANTS 3

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Edwin Jackson held San Francisco hitless until Conor Gillaspie's three-run homer with one out in the seventh inning, and San Diego held off the Giants for its first sweep of the season.

Jackson, making his first start since 2014, and three relievers combined on a two-hitter against the Giants, who despite losing three straight still have the best record in the majors at 57-36.

San Diego remains the only big league team without a no-hitter, having played 7,582 games without one since starting out in 1969.

After striking out Brandon Crawford to open the seventh, Jackson bobbled Gregor Blanco's grounder for an error and then walked Ramiro Pena before Gillaspie connected. That cut the Padres' lead to 4-3.

Jackson (1-1) was then pulled. He walked five and struck out four. He pitched a no-hitter in 2010 for Arizona.

All-Star starter Johnny Cueto (13-2) took his first loss since April 21. He had three straight complete-game victories against the Padres this season coming into Sunday.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

-- Mets 5, Phillies 0-- First time Jacob deGrom has ever thrown a pitch in 9th inning of a major league game. He threw a one-hitter here.

-- Astro players have been on DL total of only 122 days this year; next-lowest are the Nationals, who have had players on the DL for 248 days.

-- Michael Porter Jr declared to play at Washington; he is a top recruit, but since his dad just got hired as an assistant coach by the Huskies, this isn't a big surprise.

-- Edwin Jackson is first MLB pitcher since 2009 to throw 6+ innings in a game, while allowing only one hit, but 3+ runs.

-- Zach Greinke, who makes $30M+ a year, is not expected back for Arizona before the end of this month. 2016 has been a disaster for the Diamondbacks.

-- Minnesota-Chicago play for summer league title in Las Vegas tonight.

**********

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend.....

13) Justin Marks pitched a no-hitter this week for Durham Bulls, the Rays' AAA team, but he musn't be a big prospect, seeing as they let him throw 130 pitches in the game. Marks is 28; he is 3-10, 3.73 in the IL this year and has a 36-63, 4.61 career mark in minor leagues. He has pitched in one big league game (2 IP, 3 runs allowed).

12) Durham has another AAA starter, Jaime Schultz- they keep him on a pitch limitso he is viewed as a prospect, since they're limiting his usage. Schultz' problem is that he goes into a lot of deep counts and 75 pitches often doesn't get him too far. Nine of first 13 batters he faced Sunday either walked or struck out- he threw 87 pitches in Sunday's game and didn't finish the fourth inning. No bueno. .

11) Weird British Open; Stenson finished at -20, Mickelson was -17 and third place was -6. Not often you scoring disparity like that, but Stenson/Mickelson have played together 16 times in tournaments, so they're comfortable in same twosome.

10) Stenson had seven top-5's in majors before his win; last golfer to do that was his playing partner Sunday, Mickelson.

9) Bronx Bombers haven't scored a first inning run in their last 21 games.

8) Archie Bradley pitched well for Arizona Saturday night, allowing one run in six IP, throwing 106 pitches, but he only induced two misses on 41 swings, after he had induced 32 misses on 129 swings in his previous three starts. When lot of balls are put into play, it puts more pressure on your defense.

7) By contrast, in his last two starts, Justin Verlander has induced 39 misses on 103 swings and thats in DH games where pitchers don't bat.

6) Daniel Murphy (hamstring) hadn't played since the All-Star Game, but homered with two outs in 9th inning to tie game 1-1. Game wound up going another nine innings before Pittsburgh won 2-1 in the 18th on a Sterling Marte homer

5) Over last four years, over is 69-38 when Jerry Meals umps home plate, so it made no sense that Meals was behind the plate for the marathon on Washington.

4) Lot of low scoring games Sunday; three NL games were 0-0 after five innings. Under wound up 9-5-1 in Sunday's games.

3) Giancarlo Stanton went thru a long, dismal slump at the plate which now appears to be over, but he has played a stellar rightfield all season long. He made a diving catch going towards the RF corner with two men on Saturday that saved couple of runs.

2) First round matchups for the Puerto Rico Tip-Off hoop tourney in November:
-- Clemson-Davidson, Xavier-Missouri, Northern Iowa-Arizona State and Tulane-Oklahoma.....Xavier-Oklahoma would be the expected finals matchup????

1) If the playoffs started today.........
NL: Nationals-Cubs-Giants. Wild Card: Dodgers vs Miami or Mets
AL: Orioles-Indians-Rangers. Wild Card: Boston-Toronto

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, July 18

National League

Marlins @ Phillies

Fernandez is 0-2, 10.03 in his last two road starts; four of his last five road starts went over the total. Miami is 4-3 in his road starts.

Nola is 0-4, 15.00 in his last five starts; over is 7-1-1 in his last nine. Phillies are 2-6 when he starts at home.

Marlins won five of last six games; they're 9-6 in road series openers. Over is 17-5 in their last 22 true road games. Philly won 11 of last 16 games, under is 9-2-1 in its last 12 at home. Phillies are 4-11 in home series openers.

Braves @ Reds

Wisler is 1-1, 5.32 in his last four starts; over is 7-3 in his last ten. Atlanta split his six road starts this season.

Finnegan is 1-3, 9.47 in his last four starts; five of his last seven home starts went over total. Reds lost six of his last seven home starts.

Atlanta is 4-7 in its last 11 games; they're 6-9 in road series openers. Under is 11-3 in their last 14 road games. Cincinnati lost eight of last 11 home games, over is 14-7-1 in Reds' last 22 games. Reds are 7-8 in home series openers.

Mets @ Cubs

Matz is 0-4, 5.05 in his last eight starts; nine of his last 11 stayed under. Mets are 5-2 in his road starts.

Lester is 0-1, 7.58 in his last four starts; over is 9-4 in his last 13. Cubs are 6-2 when Lester starts at home.

Mets lost eight of last 12 road games; they're 8-6 in road series openers. Under is 14-4 in New York's last 18 road games. Chicago won three of last four games; they're 12-3 in home series openers. Last five games at Wrigley Field stayed under.

Padres @ Cardinals

Friedrich is 0-3, 8.40 in his last three starts; eight of his last ten went over. Padres lost four of his six road starts.

Leake is 1-3, 5.40 in his last four starts; his last three stayed under. Cardnals lost six of his eight home starts.

Padres won their last three games; three of their last four road games stayed under. San Diego is 10-4 in road series openers. St Louis lost five of last seven home games; they're 5-11 in home series openers. Under is 11-5-1 in their last 17 home games.

American League

Orioles @ New York

Gausman is 1-3, 5.74 in his last five start; eight of his last ten stayed under. Orioles lost five of his last six road starts.

Nova is 1-2, 7.30 in his last five starts; three of his last four went over. Bronx split his six home starts.

Orioles won six of last eight games, their last five games stayed under. Baltimore is 8-7 in road series openers. New York lost five of last eight home games, seven of last 11Bronx games went over the total- they're 7-7 in home series openers.

Twins @ Tigers

Nolasco is 1-3, 6.66 in his last four starts; over is 15-2 in his last 17 starts. Minnesota is 4-5 in his road starts.

Boyd is 0-3, 6.67 in six starts this year (over 3-2-1).

Minnesota won eight of last 12 games; they're 5-9 in road series openers. Twins' last six road games went over. Detroit won four of last five home games, nine of its last 12 games stayed under the total.

Indians @ Royals

Kluber is 3-1, 2.54 in his last four starts; five of his last six went over. Cleveland split his eight home starts, winning last three.

Volquez is 1-1, 3.38 in his last three starts; six of his last eight stayed under. Royals are 8-3 in his home starts.

Indians won 10 of last 13 road games; they're 10-6 in road series openers. Under is 5-2-1 in Tribe's last eight road games. Kansas City lost eight of last 11 games; they're 12-2 in home series openers. Six of last eight KC stayed under the total.

Astros @ A's

Fiers is 3-0, 3.08 in his last five starts; over is 8-4-1 in his last 13. Houston is 2-4 when he starts on foreign soil.

Graveman is 3-0, 2.89 in his last six starts (under 4-2). Oakland is 2-4 in his home starts.

Astros won nine of last 11 road games; they're 7-8 in road series openers. Three of their last four road games went over. Oakland is 9-1 in last ten series openers, but 14-23 in last 37 games overall, 5-11 in last 16 at home. Five of their last seven at home went over.

Rangers @ Angels

Lohse allowed six runs in five IP (109 PT) in his first '16 start.

Tropeano is 2-0, 2.43 in his last five starts; three of his last four stayed under. Angels are 2-3 in his home starts.

Texas lost 11 of last 15 games; they're 8-7 in road series openers- over is 8-3-1 in their last 12 games. Angels won seven of last nine games, four of their last five stayed under the total. Halos are 6-9 in home series openers.

White Sox @ Mariners

Sale is 5-2, 5.44 in his last seven starts; over is 10-4 in his last 14. White Sox are 7-1 when he starts on the road.

LeBlanc is 1-0, 4.11 in three starts this year (under 2-1).

White Sox lost their last four games, scoring one run; they're 1-6 in last seven road series openers. Three of their last four games stayed under. Seattle lost seven of last ten games; they're 8-7 in home series openers- four of their last five home games went over.

Interleague

Rays @ Rockies

Smyly is 0-3, 12.06 in his last three starts; over is 11-1 in his last 12. Tampa Bay lost five of his last six road starts. .

Anderson is 1-3, 3.68 in his last five starts (under 5-1).

Tampa Bay lost its last ten road games; they're 5-9 in road series openers. Rays' last five games stayed under total. Colorado is 9-6 in last 15 home games, 7-7 in home series openers. Eight of last 11 games at Coors Field went over the total.

Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:

Mia-Phil-- Fernandez 12-5; Nola 7-10 (0-5 last 5)
Atl-Cin-- Wisler 5-12; Finneran 5-13
NY-Chi-- Matz 9-7; Lester 12-6
SD-StL-- Friedrich 5-6 (1-5 last 6); Leake 8-10

Balt-NY-- Gausman 6-9; Nova 6-6
Min-Det-- Nolasco 7-11; Boyd 2-4
Cle-KC-- Kluber 9-9; Volquez 11-8
Hst-A's-- Fiers 10-6 (5-0 last 5); Graveman
Tex-LAA-- Lohse 0-1; Tropeano 5-7
Chi-Sea-- Sale 14-4 (5-1 last 6); Leblanc 2-1

TB-Colo-- Smyly 6-11; Anderson 2-4

Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:

Mia-Phil-- Fernandez 4-17; Nola 8-17
Atl-Cin-- Wisler 9-17; Finneran 5-18
NY-Chi-- Matz 4-16; Lester 5-18
SD-StL-- Friedrich 4-11; Leake 7-18 (4 of last 5)

Balt-NY-- Gausman 6-15; Nova 3-12
Min-Det-- Nolasco 7-18; Boyd 0-6
Cle-KC-- Kluber 5-18; Volquez 5-19
Hst-A's-- Fiers 3-16; Graveman
Tex-LAA-- Lohse 0-1; Tropeano 2-12
Chi-Sea-- Sale 6-18; Leblanc 1-3

TB-Colo-- Smyly 4-17; Anderson 1-6

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Monday, July 18

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:05 PM
NY METS vs. CHI CUBS
NY Mets are 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
NY Mets are 2-7 SU in their last 9 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games at home
Chi Cubs are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games at home

7:05 PM
MIAMI vs. PHILADELPHIA
Miami is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Miami is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Philadelphia is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games

7:05 PM
BALTIMORE vs. NY YANKEES
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Baltimore's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Baltimore's last 6 games when playing NY Yankees
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing Baltimore
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing at home against Baltimore

7:10 PM
MINNESOTA vs. DETROIT
Minnesota is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games on the road
Detroit is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Detroit is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Minnesota

7:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. CINCINNATI
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 6 games when playing at home against Atlanta

8:15 PM
CLEVELAND vs. KANSAS CITY
Cleveland is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 6 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 6 games when playing at home against Cleveland

8:15 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. ST. LOUIS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Diego's last 6 games when playing St. Louis
St. Louis is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against San Diego
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of St. Louis's last 17 games at home

8:40 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. COLORADO
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tampa Bay's last 9 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Colorado's last 9 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Colorado's last 14 games

10:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. OAKLAND
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Houston is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Oakland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oakland's last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland's last 5 games when playing Houston

10:05 PM
TEXAS vs. LA ANGELS
Texas is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games on the road
LA Angels are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Angels's last 7 games when playing at home against Texas

10:10 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. SEATTLE
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chi White Sox's last 9 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Chi White Sox are 12-6 SU in their last 18 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Seattle is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Dunkel

Monday, July 18


Baltimore @ NY Yankees

Game 909-910
July 18, 2016 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Baltimore
(Gausman) 13.976
NY Yankees
(Nova) 12.544
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baltimore
by 1 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baltimore
-120
9
Dunkel Pick:
Baltimore
(-120); Under

Minnesota @ Detroit

Game 911-912
July 18, 2016 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
(Nolasco) 10.735
Detroit
(Boyd) 17.238
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 6 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
-145
10
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(-145); Under

Cleveland @ Kansas City

Game 913-914
July 18, 2016 @ 8:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
(Kluber) 14.086
Kansas City
(Volquez) 17.270
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas City
by 3
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
-150
8
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas City
(+130); Over

Houston @ Oakland

Game 915-916
July 18, 2016 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
(Fiers) 15.386
Oakland
(Grveman) 17.822
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oakland
by 2 1/2
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-140
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Oakland
(+120); Over

Texas @ LA Angels

Game 917-918
July 18, 2016 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas
(Griffin) 11.858
LA Angels
(Trpeano) 15.915
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Angels
by 4
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Angels
-120
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Angels
(-120); Over

Chicago White Sox @ Seattle

Game 919-920
July 18, 2016 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago White Sox
(Sale) 14.835
Seattle
(LeBlanc) 17.685
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 3
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago White Sox
-150
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(+130); Over

Tampa Bay @ Colorado

Game 921-922
July 18, 2016 @ 8:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
(Smyly) 17.175
Colorado
(Andrson) 12.644
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 4 1/2
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
-145
11 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(+125); Under

Miami @ Philadelphia

Game 901-902
July 18, 2016 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
(Frnandez) 13.583
Philadelphia
(Nola) 14.925
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 1 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
-205
7
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(+175); Over

Atlanta @ Cincinnati

Game 903-904
July 18, 2016 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
(Wisler) 12.593
Cincinnati
(Fnnegan) 13.915
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cincinnati
by 1 1/2
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cincinnati
-135
9
Dunkel Pick:
Cincinnati
(-135); Over

NY Mets @ Chicago Cubs

Game 905-906
July 18, 2016 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Mets
(Matz) 13.535
Chicago Cubs
(Lester) 17.175
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago Cubs
by 3 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago Cubs
-165
No Total
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago Cubs
(-165); Under

San Diego @ St. Louis

Game 907-908
July 18, 2016 @ 8:14 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Diego
(Friedrch) 17.117
St. Louis
(Leake) 14.221
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Diego
by 3
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-180
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Diego
(+157); Under

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Monday, July 18

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MIAMI (49 - 42) at PHILADELPHIA (43 - 50) - 7:05 PM
JOSE FERNANDEZ (R) vs. AARON NOLA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 43-50 (+4.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 12-6 (+12.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 21-17 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 779-797 (+27.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
PHILADELPHIA is 412-395 (+54.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
MIAMI is 49-42 (+6.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MIAMI is 35-24 (+11.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
FERNANDEZ is 42-22 (+16.6 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
FERNANDEZ is 33-15 (+15.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less since 1997. (Team's Record)
FERNANDEZ is 41-20 (+17.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 5-19 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Monday over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 4-2 (+2.3 Units) against MIAMI this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

JOSE FERNANDEZ vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
FERNANDEZ is 1-1 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 2.89 and a WHIP of 1.036.
His team's record is 2-3 (-0.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-3. (-1.3 units)

AARON NOLA vs. MIAMI since 1997
NOLA is 1-0 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 1.93 and a WHIP of 0.857.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.1 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ATLANTA (32 - 60) at CINCINNATI (34 - 58) - 7:10 PM
MATT WISLER (R) vs. BRANDON FINNEGAN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 39-63 (-22.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 15-29 (-14.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 97-157 (-46.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 53-74 (-21.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 97-157 (-46.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 17-41 (-18.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CINCINNATI is 76-115 (-27.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 36-61 (-22.5 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 379-351 (-90.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 25-40 (-19.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 2-2 (+0.3 Units) against ATLANTA this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

MATT WISLER vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
WISLER is 1-0 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 2.70 and a WHIP of 1.499.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

BRANDON FINNEGAN vs. ATLANTA since 1997
FINNEGAN is 1-0 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 1.50 and a WHIP of 1.167.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NY METS (49 - 42) at CHICAGO CUBS (55 - 36) - 7:05 PM
STEVEN MATZ (L) vs. JON LESTER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 23-4 (+20.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 88-58 (+17.2 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1543-1659 (-272.7 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 823-775 (-166.7 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 4-9 (-12.8 Units) against the money line in July games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1486-1572 (-247.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 252-248 (-64.2 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997.
LESTER is 11-17 (-11.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 4-0 (+5.3 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

STEVEN MATZ vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
MATZ is 0-0 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.600.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

JON LESTER vs. NY METS since 1997
LESTER is 2-2 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 5.88 and a WHIP of 1.654.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-2. (-0.3 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SAN DIEGO (41 - 51) at ST LOUIS (47 - 44) - 8:15 PM
CHRISTIAN FRIEDRICH (L) vs. MIKE LEAKE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 28-56 (-23.9 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 34-28 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ST LOUIS is 20-28 (-17.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ST LOUIS is 20-28 (-17.5 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 10-18 (-14.2 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
ST LOUIS is 4-10 (-10.1 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 2-1 (+0.7 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

CHRISTIAN FRIEDRICH vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
FRIEDRICH is 0-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 12.47 and a WHIP of 1.848.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

MIKE LEAKE vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
LEAKE is 1-2 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 3.57 and a WHIP of 1.289.
His team's record is 3-4 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-4. (-1.6 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BALTIMORE (53 - 37) at NY YANKEES (45 - 46) - 7:05 PM
KEVIN GAUSMAN (R) vs. IVAN NOVA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 53-37 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 24-14 (+12.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
BALTIMORE is 49-31 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BALTIMORE is 38-25 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
BALTIMORE is 39-26 (+11.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BALTIMORE is 109-73 (+28.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 28-33 (-9.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 4-2 (+1.4 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

KEVIN GAUSMAN vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
GAUSMAN is 1-1 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 1.93 and a WHIP of 1.048.
His team's record is 5-2 (+3.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-6. (-5.6 units)

IVAN NOVA vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
NOVA is 7-4 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 5.34 and a WHIP of 1.357.
His team's record is 10-5 (+3.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-7. (+0.8 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MINNESOTA (33 - 58) at DETROIT (48 - 44) - 7:10 PM
RICKY NOLASCO (R) vs. MATT BOYD (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 33-58 (-18.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 7-23 (-14.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
MINNESOTA is 33-58 (-18.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MINNESOTA is 18-34 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MINNESOTA is 16-41 (-20.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
DETROIT is 48-44 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
DETROIT is 13-2 (+10.3 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 this season.
DETROIT is 35-32 (+7.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
DETROIT is 27-20 (+9.2 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
NOLASCO is 27-21 (+15.9 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 75-65 (+27.8 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 16-6 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in road games in July games since 1997. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 71-63 (+24.0 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 57-38 (+32.3 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 38-34 (+18.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)
DETROIT is 41-44 (-18.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 6-0 (+6.4 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

RICKY NOLASCO vs. DETROIT since 1997
NOLASCO is 2-2 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.23 and a WHIP of 1.539.
His team's record is 3-4 (-0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.1 units)

MATT BOYD vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
BOYD is 0-0 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 0.833.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CLEVELAND (54 - 37) at KANSAS CITY (46 - 45) - 8:15 PM
COREY KLUBER (R) vs. EDINSON VOLQUEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KLUBER is 20-30 (-22.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KLUBER is 9-17 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KLUBER is 0-7 (-8.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KLUBER is 7-14 (-12.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KLUBER is 19-28 (-21.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KLUBER is 13-19 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KLUBER is 10-16 (-12.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 152-117 (+29.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 29-13 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 22-13 (+10.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
KANSAS CITY is 46-42 (+5.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
KANSAS CITY is 20-10 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 22-9 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
KANSAS CITY is 12-2 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss this season.
KANSAS CITY is 19-9 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
KANSAS CITY is 19-6 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
VOLQUEZ is 36-21 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VOLQUEZ is 22-7 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VOLQUEZ is 12-2 (+9.6 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VOLQUEZ is 35-18 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VOLQUEZ is 27-16 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VOLQUEZ is 62-42 (+24.4 Units) against the money line after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)
CLEVELAND is 31-11 (+18.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CLEVELAND is 97-73 (+40.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Monday since 1997.
CLEVELAND is 28-12 (+13.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
CLEVELAND is 39-19 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 6-4 (+1.0 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.7 Units)

COREY KLUBER vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
KLUBER is 6-6 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 3.71 and a WHIP of 1.083.
His team's record is 8-8 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-6. (+2.7 units)

EDINSON VOLQUEZ vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
VOLQUEZ is 3-6 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 6.94 and a WHIP of 1.875.
His team's record is 4-6 (-2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-3. (+2.9 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSTON (50 - 42) at OAKLAND (40 - 52) - 10:05 PM
MICHAEL FIERS (R) vs. KENDALL GRAVEMAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 57-73 (-20.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
FIERS is 11-21 (-17.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)
FIERS is 5-13 (-13.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997. (Team's Record)
HOUSTON is 34-17 (+13.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
OAKLAND is 108-146 (-40.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 19-27 (-12.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
OAKLAND is 23-35 (-18.4 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 37-49 (-11.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 68-88 (-20.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 35-48 (-21.8 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 19-32 (-12.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 6-4 (+1.0 Units) against OAKLAND this season
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.6 Units)

MICHAEL FIERS vs. OAKLAND since 1997
FIERS is 0-1 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 3.28 and a WHIP of 1.135.
His team's record is 0-4 (-5.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-3. (-2.2 units)

KENDALL GRAVEMAN vs. HOUSTON since 1997
GRAVEMAN is 2-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 5.24 and a WHIP of 1.388.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (+0.0 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TEXAS (55 - 38) at LA ANGELS (40 - 52) - 10:05 PM
A.J. GRIFFIN (R) vs. NICK TROPEANO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 20-43 (-23.7 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 55-38 (+23.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 54-36 (+28.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 12-4 (+9.4 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 this season.
TEXAS is 26-23 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
TEXAS is 33-23 (+20.3 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 26-13 (+17.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
TEXAS is 54-35 (+25.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 39-24 (+20.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TEXAS is 41-27 (+17.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
TEXAS is 32-22 (+13.7 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
TEXAS is 27-21 (+7.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
GRIFFIN is 39-19 (+21.2 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
GRIFFIN is 6-0 (+8.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
LA ANGELS are 40-52 (-12.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 5-12 (-9.4 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents this season.
LA ANGELS are 37-51 (-15.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 6-4 (+2.4 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.4 Units)

A.J. GRIFFIN vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
GRIFFIN is 3-2 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 3.08 and a WHIP of 0.947.
His team's record is 3-3 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.2 units)

NICK TROPEANO vs. TEXAS since 1997
TROPEANO is 1-2 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 3.72 and a WHIP of 1.034.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-3. (-3.2 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHI WHITE SOX (45 - 46) at SEATTLE (46 - 46) - 10:10 PM
CHRIS SALE (L) vs. WADE LEBLANC (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SALE is 4-14 (-15.5 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -150 since 1997. (Team's Record)
CHI WHITE SOX are 20-12 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in road games in July games over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 29-18 (+15.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 122-132 (-28.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 59-67 (-30.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 11-19 (-12.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 116-129 (-32.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 82-89 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 34-51 (-21.5 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 8-12 (-9.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
SEATTLE is 12-20 (-19.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

CHRIS SALE vs. SEATTLE since 1997
SALE is 4-0 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 2.82 and a WHIP of 0.913.
His team's record is 5-0 (+5.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+2.1 units)

WADE LEBLANC vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
No recent starts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TAMPA BAY (35 - 56) at COLORADO (42 - 49) - 8:40 PM
DREW SMYLY (L) vs. TYLER ANDERSON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 35-56 (-27.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 2-11 (-11.5 Units) against the money line in July games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 13-26 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TAMPA BAY is 21-34 (-17.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 37-27 (+11.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 216-295 (-87.2 Units) against the money line in July games since 1997.
COLORADO is 64-102 (-30.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

DREW SMYLY vs. COLORADO since 1997
No recent starts.

TYLER ANDERSON vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
No recent starts.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Monday, July 18


Yanks 3-1 over Boston Sun. night. Under now 9-1 in Price's last 10 starts and Yankees now 8-1 in Tanaka's last 9 starts at home.


Ryan Blakney continues to be MLB's best road team umpire w/ Astros' 8-1 thrashing of Mariners on Sunday. Road teams 15-4 in his plate games


Post All-Star break in MLB, UNDER is 29-12 (70.73%). Either the rest has been good for pitching or bats are still in vacation-mode.

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Conforto rejoins Mets; Sale, Chisox try again
July 17, 2016

A look at what's happening all around the majors Monday:

BRINGING HIM BACK

The Mets have brought young outfielder Michael Conforto back from Triple-A for the start of a three-game series against the Cubs. Conforto was demoted after hitting .222 with 10 homers through 65 games with New York, but then hit .344 with three homers in 16 games with Triple-A Las Vegas. The Mets sent down prospect Brandon Nimmo in a corresponding move after the 23-year-old batted .235 in 16 major league games. Steven Matz (7-5, 3.38) is up for the Mets against Jon Lester (9-4, 3.01), who allowed a season-high eight runs in a career-low 1 1/3 innings in his other start against New York this season.

STUMBLING CHISOX

Ace Chris Sale (14-3, 3.38) and the Chicago White Sox look to rebound against the Mariners. Sale allowed eight runs, including three homers, in an 11-8 loss to the lowly Braves in his last outing, while Chicago just lost three straight to the last-place Angels to open the second half. Seattle LHP Wade LeBlanc (1-0, 3.52 ERA) makes his fourth start since being acquired in a trade with Toronto.

LITTLE LEADER

AL batting leader Jose Altuve leads the Astros into a series at Oakland. The 5-foot-6 infielder is batting .346 after getting four hits Sunday, including his career high-tying 15th home run. Mike Fiers (6-3, 4.35) pitches for Houston against Kendall Graveman (5-6, 4.37).

FERNANDEZ VS. THE PHILS

Jose Fernandez (11-4, 2.52) leads Miami into a four-game series with Philadelphia. In his last start before the All-Star break, Fernandez struck out eight over seven dominant innings in a 3-1 win against Cincinnati. Aaron Nola (5-8, 4.69) is up for the Phillies after limping into the break with a 13.50 ERA over his last five starts. Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki needs six hits to reach 3,000 in Major League Baseball.

KLUBER IN TOP FORM

Indians right-hander Corey Kluber (9-8, 3.61), who earned the win at the All-Star Game with a scoreless inning, takes the mound in Kansas City against Edinson Volquez (8-8, 4.85). Since June 5, Kluber is 5-2 with a 2.79 ERA, allowing more than two earned runs just twice.

[StarDust Bum]

Can Boston, Texas slug way to playoffs?
July 18, 2016

Right now, the American League standings are all about offense.

The AL's top five teams in runs scored - Boston, Toronto, Cleveland, Baltimore and Texas - are also the five teams that would be in the playoffs if the season ended now. It's no shock that a high-scoring offense can lead to more wins, but the Red Sox and Rangers in particular are in this position despite middling performances on the mound.

Texas and Boston have allowed the fourth- and fifth-most runs in the AL. Perhaps that will change now that Yu Darvish of the Rangers is back from the disabled list - and after the Red Sox traded for All-Star Drew Pomeranz in an attempt to bolster their starting rotation.

That move was an indication that Boston isn't comfortable simply trying to outslug teams all season.

''I still think that - and we've seen it ourselves - when we face good pitching, good pitching is likely to shut down good hitting,'' Red Sox manager John Farrell said. ''I don't see that changing.''

Despite leading the league in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging, the Red Sox are a couple games behind first-place Baltimore in the AL East. Texas, meanwhile, has lost nine of its last 12 and now leads Houston by only 4 1/2 games in the AL West. The Rangers had a double-digit advantage toward the end of last month.

The race in the East could be especially intriguing. Baltimore's team ERA of 4.31 isn't much better than Boston's 4.38.

''When you look at, whether it's Baltimore or us or other clubs, you're looking at starting rotation ERA probably in the bottom half, so I think it speaks volumes to the number of runs that can be put up on a more consistent basis than some other clubs,'' Farrell said. ''But I would like to think that the most complete team is the one that emerges to advance.''

Here are a few other developments from around baseball:

AT THE BOTTOM

There were no 100-game losers in either of the past two seasons, but a whopping four teams are on pace to reach that mark right now. Atlanta (on pace for 106 losses), Minnesota (103), Cincinnati (102) and Tampa Bay (100) are the top candidates for baseball's worst record in 2016.

The Rays snapped an eight-game losing streak with a win over the Orioles on Sunday. Tampa Bay had lost 24 of its previous 27.

FANTASY FOCUS

Pomeranz now presents quite a conundrum for fantasy owners. He's a left-hander who has left San Diego to pitch in front of the Green Monster in Boston - while also switching leagues. But there's a good chance he'll have more run support now.

Pomeranz's departure left room in San Diego for Edwin Jackson, who resurfaced Sunday for his first start since 2014. Jackson held San Francisco hitless until the seventh inning.

LINE OF THE WEEK

Perhaps the most surprising line of the week belongs to Pittsburgh star Andrew McCutchen. He was the only player to go 0 for 8 in his team's 18-inning victory over Washington on Sunday.

The best line, however, was turned in that same day by Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets, when he threw a 1-hitter against Philadelphia.

[StarDust Bum]

Nationals' Strasburg recaptures dominance with 13-0 start
July 18, 2016

WASHINGTON (AP) Watching Stephen Strasburg on the mound in 90-degree heat, Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker recalled how he heard the right-hander would ''wilt'' in these situations.

Nothing about Strasburg's outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night, or any other opponent this season, has resembled wilting. Strasburg is the first National League starting pitcher to begin a season 13-0 in more than 100 years, a recapturing of the dominance he showed early in his career before Tommy John surgery.

Strasburg has won 16 consecutive decisions dating back to September and during that stretch has struck out 182 batters and walked 37. This season his 2.51 ERA is sixth in the majors, and his command of his pitches is reflected in the numbers.

''In my opinion this has been the best year I've seen him pitch,'' catcher Wilson Ramos said through an interpreter. ''He's been very effective attacking the zone, keeping the ball down. He's been hitting his spots very well with all his pitches. Usually a starter that attacks the zone like that and doesn't miss his spots very much will usually has success like he's been having.''

Mixing his overpowering fastball with a cutter, curveball and change-up, Strasburg has thrown an impressive 66.4 percent of his pitches for strikes this season, and yet batters are hitting .195 against him with only 11 home runs in 17 starts.

Perhaps the most impressive number is the zero in the loss column.

''He hasn't lost,'' Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. ''That's pretty hard to do up here. It's in late July and he hasn't lost a game. Whatever he's doing, he's probably going to continue it.''

Strasburg's 13 victories to open a season are tied with teammate Max Scherzer and Ron Guidry as the sixth-longest streak in major league history and mark the longest in the NL for a starter since Rube Marquard of the New York Giants went 18-0 in 1912.

Asked if this felt like a 13-0 season, the 27-year-old didn't know how to answer.

''The results, I can't control,'' said Strasburg, who signed a $175 million, seven-year contract extension in May. ''I'm trying to go out there and execute pitches and roll with the highs and lows. It's always going to be that way. You ask any veteran pitcher in the league, there are years where they feel like they really dominated all year and just didn't have the numbers to show for it and there are other years where they feel like they realty didn't pitch to the level they expected and they had all the numbers to show for it.''

There are tangible explanations for Strasburg's numbers, and Baker said it starts off the field. The veteran baseball man said the Nationals' staff urged Strasburg to increase his work between starts.

After an injury-filled 2015 that included a strained left trapezius muscle, a strained oblique and other tweaks that had little to do with pitching, Strasburg changed his workout approach. He may not work out more, but he does it differently.

''As I've gotten older it's not trying to go out there and lift the house in the weight room,'' Strasburg said. ''I think I've just been trying to get back to square one, ready for the next start. Throwing that many pitches, doing that over and over again, it kind of takes a beating on your body, so we're just trying to work with the training staff and identify what areas I need to work on to get feeling good for the next one.''

Strasburg missed two weeks this season with an upper-back strain, but that didn't slow him down. Since returning from the disabled list July 3, he has allowed just two earned runs on five hits and struck out 20 in 21 2/3 innings.

Some of that dominance is mental, according to Ramos, who said Strasburg had the tendency in previous years to get down when things didn't go his way or the defense let him down. Ramos has talked to Strasburg extensively about letting his pitches work and the defense take care of things.

''We have a great team playing behind him and he's finally taken to that and he's pitched extremely well and the team's helped him out a lot,'' Ramos said. ''So far he's having a great year and his attitude is, I think, the biggest difference with the way he's going out there and just being aggressive - a lot more aggressive than he has been in the last few years and I think that's made a big difference.''

[StarDust Bum]

Monday's Diamond Notes
July 18, 2016


Hottest team: Astros (20-7 last 27, 7-1-1 last nine series)
After suffering a frustrating 1-0 loss on Saturday, Houston rebounded behind Collin McHugh and a grand slam from a resurgent Carlos Gomez, beating Seattle to pull within one game of Toronto for the AL’s second Wild Card with 70 games still remaining. That may not sound all that impressive, but considering the Astros have reached 50 wins and are a season-high eight games over .500 after losing 15 of their first 21 games, you can see they’ve definitely been putting in work. At its worse, Houston was 17-28 on May 22, but over the past 15 series, it has won 11 outright, sweeping six and splitting a four-game set against the A’s team it will face tonight just before the All-Star break. The Astros have won each of the last five games Mike Fiers (6-3, 4.35 ERA) has started, supplying 7.4 runs per game to support the cause. Fiers worked seven innings in Oakland back on April 29, surrendering just two runs and taking a no-decision in a 7-4 loss. Houston has beaten the A’s in six of 10 meetings this season but managed just two runs over eight innings against Monday’s starter Kendall Graveman (5-6, 4.37) in a 3-2 loss on July 9.

Coldest team: White Sox (1-5 last six)
Since the Rays snapped their eight-game losing streak against the Orioles on Sunday, Chicago’s play of late makes them a great fit for this category. The White Sox ended a scoreless run dating back to the Saturday before the All-Star break in an 8-1 loss in Anaheim, but were outscored 16-1 and find themselves back under .500 again. Chicago owned the AL’s best record in early May, but has been unable to consistently get its bats going and has been shut out in five of its 12 July contests to date. Chris Sale (14-3, 3.38) has managed to maintain his major-league lead in wins despite his team’s struggles over the past few months, but his ERA is over 3.00 for the first time since April 9 after his worst outing of the season. The lowly Braves, who have hit lefties as poorly as any team in history to this point, managed to belt out three home runs, scoring eight times over five innings against Chicago's ace to pull off a shocking 11-8 upset. Sale will be facing Seattle for the first time this season and is 7-1 with a 2.33 ERA on the road in 2016 and has never lost a decision at Safeco Field, so it's not surprising to see the White Sox (-145) favored despite their poor form.

Hottest pitcher: Jose Fernandez (11-4, 2.52 ERA)
Fernandez has won 10 of his last 12 decisions and has allowed one run or fewer in nine of his last 11 starts, a stretch dating back to May 9. Fernandez hasn’t been as dominant on the road as he has been at Marlins Park, where he’s 25-1 over his career, so he’ll be looking to snap a two-game losing streak in opposing stadiums as he takes the mound to face the Phillies for the first time in 2016. Current hitters on the Philadelphia roster are a combined 6-for-37 (.162) against Fernandez, but you should expect to see Ryan Howard, who is 2-for-12. Both hits have been home runs. Miami (-200) is a heavy road favorite at the Phillies (+180), who counter with Aaron Nola (5-8, 4.69).

Coldest pitcher: Kevin Gausman (1-6, 4.15 ERA)
Gausman truly earned his only victory this season, blanking the Rays on four hits over 7.2 innings at home on June 25. He’s been hit much harder since that start and finds himself back on the road for the eighth time in 11 outings. Although he’s shined against the Yankees this season (0.64 ERA over 14 innings), both showings came at Camden Yards, where he’s pitched considerably better than he has on the road (0-5, 5.25). Gausman is 1-1 with a 3.05 in the Bronx over the course of his short career and has surprisingly struggled with Alex Rodriguez, who has been benched against most righties but may be utilized tonight since he’s 5-for-11 with a pair of homers against the Orioles’ young gun. Baltimore is a slight road favorite (-120). New York (+110) will send Ivan Nova (6-5, 5.18) to the mound.

Biggest UNDER run: Rays (5-0 last five, 9-2-1 last 12)
The Rays matched their highest scoring output of the month with their five runs against the Orioles, belting out four homers. Evan Longoria hit a pair, so maybe Tampa Bay will finally start breaking out offensively again. Kevin Kiermaier has returned to the lineup and should provide a boost, but he’s just 1-for-8 since coming back from a wrist injury. The Rays have scored two runs or fewer in five of their last eight games, so they’re hoping a rare trip to Denver will help rejuvenate the offense. Tampa won two of three last time it visited Coors Field back in 2013 and will square off against rookie lefty Tyler Anderson (1-3, 3.03). Drew Smyly (2-10, 5.47) has lost six consecutive decisions and has seen his ERA balloon by over two full runs over the past two months, so Colorado (-135) has been established as the favorite and the total has been set at 11.5. Some 12s are still floating out there.

Biggest OVER run: Twins (24-12-4, last 40)
The ‘over’ clearly prevailed in only three Sunday contests, so there isn’t anyone streaking since action reconvened following the All-Star break. That makes it easy to default to Minnesota in this category despite the fact it comes off managing just one run at home against Cleveland. The Twins hit the road for three games against baseball’s 10th highest-scoring team in Detroit prior to visiting Boston, which leads MLB with 501 runs scored. Since May 23, Minnesota has been involved in more ‘overs’ than any other team and will send Ricky Nolasco (4-7, 5.22) out there against Matt Boyd (0-2, 5.77), so it’s no surprise to see this total set at 10.

Matchup to watch: Mets at Cubs
No team will ever surpass the Cardinals as the Cubs most hated rival, but I’d bet these Mets are currently coming as close as any team ever has. Despite a fantastic season where it has held baseball’s best record longer than anyone else, Chicago was powerless to stop New York from pulling off an emphatic four-game sweep in Queens from June 30-July 3. The Mets outscored the Cubs 32-11. Since the memory of being swept out of the NLCS last October is still fresh, it’s fair to say that New York is in the heads of Joe Maddon’s Cubbies as the teams meet for the final time this regular-season in a three-game set at Wrigley. Monday’s opener will be televised nationally on ESPN and features the day’s top pitching matchup as lefties Steven Matz (7-5, 3.38) and Jon Lester (9-4, 3.01) duel. The Mets are tied with the Marlins for possession of the second NL Wild Card, while the Cubs have the largest divisional lead of anyone in baseball, spaced out at eight games over Pittsburgh. New York’s Yoenis Cespedes returned from a quad injury on Sunday and went 0-for-3 in his first action since July 8. Chicago’s Dexter Fowler (hamstring) is close to a return from the disabled list, but isn’t expected back at all this series. Oddsmakers favor the Cubs (-165), offering roughly +150 to back the visiting Mets. The total will be set after wind conditions can be better determined.

Betcha didn’t know: The Padres unexpectedly come off a sweep of the Giants, who still boast MLB's best record. That's no secret, especially since they beat each of San Francisco's top starters. You may have heard it was their first series sweep this season, or that it's the first time Madison Bumgarner, Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto have lost consecutive starts, but you're likely not aware that the Padres haven't had a four-game winning streak all season. Although San Diego has managed to win three straight on three separate occasions, it has been shut out in two of its three attempts at a fourth win in a row, outscored by a collective margin of 11-2 in its failures. Lefty Christian Friedrich has dropped his last three decisions, so it's no surprise the Padres are a heavy underdog at St. Louis (-180), who counter with San Diego native Mike Leake.

Biggest public favorite: Tigers (-140) vs. Twins

Biggest public underdog: Braves (+128) at Reds

Biggest line move: Phillies (+200 to +180) vs. Marlins

[StarDust Bum]

AMERICAN - EAST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Baltimore Orioles 53 37 .589 0 33-14 20-23 6-4 L-1
Boston Red Sox 51 39 .567 2 30-20 21-19 8-2 L-1
Toronto Blue Jays 52 42 .553 3 27-20 25-22 7-3 W-1
New York Yankees 45 46 .495 8 24-20 21-26 5-5 W-1
Tampa Bay Rays 35 56 .385 18 19-30 16-26 2-8 W-1

AMERICAN - CENTRAL
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Cleveland Indians 54 37 .593 0 26-16 28-21 5-5 W-1
Detroit Tigers 48 44 .522 6 25-17 23-27 4-6 W-1
Kansas City Royals 46 45 .505 8 29-13 17-32 3-7 L-1
Chicago White Sox 45 46 .495 9 24-22 21-24 4-6 L-4
Minnesota Twins 33 58 .363 21 20-29 13-29 6-4 L-1

AMERICAN - WEST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Texas Rangers 55 38 .591 0 29-15 26-23 3-7 W-1
Houston Astros 50 42 .543 4 28-19 22-23 7-3 W-1
Seattle Mariners 46 46 .500 8 23-22 23-24 3-7 L-1
Los Angeles Angels 40 52 .435 14 19-26 21-26 7-3 W-3
Oakland Athletics 40 52 .435 14 19-27 21-25 5-5 L-1

NATIONAL - EAST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Washington Nationals 56 37 .602 0 29-16 27-21 6-4 L-1
Miami Marlins 49 42 .538 6 24-19 25-23 7-3 W-1
New York Mets 49 42 .538 6 26-20 23-22 5-5 W-1
Philadelphia Phillies 43 50 .462 13 22-25 21-25 6-4 L-1
Atlanta Braves 32 60 .348 23 14-36 18-24 4-6 W-1

NATIONAL - CENTRAL
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Chicago Cubs 55 36 .604 0 28-15 27-21 4-6 L-1
St. Louis Cardinals 47 44 .516 8 20-28 27-16 4-6 L-1
Pittsburgh Pirates 47 45 .511 8 24-20 23-25 6-4 W-1
Milwaukee Brewers 39 51 .433 15 23-22 16-29 4-6 L-1
Cincinnati Reds 34 58 .370 21 20-26 14-32 4-6 W-1

NATIONAL - WEST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
San Francisco Giants 57 36 .613 0 29-17 28-19 6-4 L-3
Los Angeles Dodgers 52 42 .553 5 30-18 22-24 5-5 L-2
Colorado Rockies 42 49 .462 14 20-22 22-27 5-5 L-1
San Diego Padres 41 51 .446 15 23-25 18-26 6-4 W-3
Arizona Diamondbacks 40 53 .430 17 17-33 23-20 3-7 W-2

Updated Mon Jul 18 12:04 PM EDT